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Nittany Lions help U.S. U-20 women to CONCACAF Championship

Mallory Weber notched three goals for the U.S. during the CONCACAF tournamentImage: GoPSUsports.com

Nittany Lions help U.S. U-20 women to CONCACAF Championship

January 23, 2014

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands -- Penn State soccer freshman Brittany Basinger (Purcellville, Va.), sophomore Mallory Weber (Novi, Mich.), head coach Erica Walsh and the U.S. U-20 Women's National Team captured the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Championship on Sunday (Jan. 19) evening after defeating Mexico, 4-0, in the title match at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex. The Americans scored 29 goals while conceding none to post a clean sheet throughout the tournament.

Both the U.S. and Mexico had already punched their tickets for the FIFA U-20 World Cup with wins in the semifinals. Costa Rica earned the third and final CONCACAF bid for the 2014 World Cup after topping Trinidad & Tobago, 7-3, in the third place match earlier in the evening.

The CONCACAF title is the first at the U-20 level for Basinger, Weber and Walsh, who acted as assistant coach for the squad. It is the third-straight and fourth overall title for the U.S. U-20 team.

Basinger started the first three matches for the U.S., logging over 200 minutes on defense. She also contributed on offense, tallying her first international goal vs. Guatemala in the final game of group play.

Weber saw action in three games as well, earning over 100 minutes of playing time. The sophomore netted three goals for the Americans, posting two vs. Guatemala and one in the semifinal match vs. Trinidad & Tobago. Weber also set up an own goal by Mexico during stoppage time in the title game, sending in a cross from the left that was deflected into Mexico's net by Estefania Fuentes to give the U.S. a four-goal advantage.

The 2014 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship marked the first time the USA has gone the entire tournament without allowing a goal. The Americans conceded one goal in the 2008 and 2012 CONCACAF Championships.

Basinger, Weber, Walsh and the U-20 squad will now spend the spring and summer preparing for the 2014 U-20 FIFA Women's World Cup, which will be held in Canada from Aug. 5-24.